New One? LH Looking for Vols to Downgrade
May 31, 2017, 6:08 am
#31
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Stuck on this planet - mainly in STR and LAX
Posts: 5,019
Jun 1, 2017, 8:02 am
#32
Join Date: Aug 2005
Programs: UA*G(1K), PC Diamond Amb, Marriott Titanium, Accor Platinum
Posts: 4,671
I've just flown FRA-SEL with LH. When I asked for a better seat at the gate they told me that they had to downgrade some people from Business to PE and that PE was now completely full. There were still plenty of seats available in Economy.
Is this a recent trend that LH is overbooking its premium cabins too aggressively?
HTB.
Is this a recent trend that LH is overbooking its premium cabins too aggressively?
HTB.
Jun 1, 2017, 12:14 pm
#33
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,777
I had the following situation with LH quite a few times
1) Arrive at the airport early
2) Having a Flexible Business Class Ticket ask to be rebooked
3) Get the answer that there are free seats on the earlier flight
4) Get a quote to pay the fare difference to J class (which is a sometimes quite a big sum, over 1000 Euro in a case where I had a P class ticket.).
5) Ask the ticket agent, if they take drugs
6) Head to the lounge and consume alcohol
7) Go to the boarding for the booked flight and listen to the announcements.
8) "Sorry this flight is overbooked, we are searching for voluntaries..."
Not funny.
1) Arrive at the airport early
2) Having a Flexible Business Class Ticket ask to be rebooked
3) Get the answer that there are free seats on the earlier flight
4) Get a quote to pay the fare difference to J class (which is a sometimes quite a big sum, over 1000 Euro in a case where I had a P class ticket.).
5) Ask the ticket agent, if they take drugs
6) Head to the lounge and consume alcohol
7) Go to the boarding for the booked flight and listen to the announcements.
8) "Sorry this flight is overbooked, we are searching for voluntaries..."
Not funny.
Jun 6, 2017, 8:00 am
#34
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: LON
Programs: FB Gold, SPG Plat
Posts: 110
Jun 28, 2017, 6:39 am
#35
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: NUE,MUC,INN,FDH
Programs: QF LTG, LH (SEN*** till 02/26), AF, AA, AB-G†
Posts: 2,076
Luckily LH changed the rules, so now you can rebook Euro-Flex tickets (such as P-Flex or K-Flex) on the same day without buying up to the ripp-off booking classes.
Sadly most airports do not know how to handle it, but it can be done quite smoothly via the hotline.
Jun 28, 2017, 6:57 am
#36
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Bridport, Dorset
Programs: Mucci, BA Bronze, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,130
That is such a platitude. Just because something is "free market" does not mean that it also is not disgraceful--they are not mutually exclusive to put it in "lawyers' speak". I'm all for the free market but let's not kid ourselves that this offer is in almost all cases (I'm not talking about some marginal situation with tickets from DUB etc.) (1) a significant underpayment compared to the fare paid and (2) trying to entice people who didn't personally pay the fare to downgrade and pocket the compensation--this does not absolve the passenger but LH is complicit.
To each their own, and, if LH wants, it can offer $1 to downgrade someone from F to Y from FRA to LAX, but if you're asking people to downgrade --- which you are doing because you were piggy and overbooked (which you are doing as a matter of policy on many flights) and got the statistics wrong in that case, at least show some class and don't be a double pig and make such a low offer.
To each their own, and, if LH wants, it can offer $1 to downgrade someone from F to Y from FRA to LAX, but if you're asking people to downgrade --- which you are doing because you were piggy and overbooked (which you are doing as a matter of policy on many flights) and got the statistics wrong in that case, at least show some class and don't be a double pig and make such a low offer.
its the passenger who is inconvenienced in this instance so compensation is due and is part of the T&C that the employer accepted when purchasing.
VS offered me a free UC rtn to anywhere on their network for a downgrade to PE. I bit their hand off!
Dec 2, 2017, 11:10 am
#37
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: SRQ
Programs: UA Plat-Million Miler (1.6MM), IHG-Plat Amb; Amex Plat-P, Marriott-Gold;Hertz Gold; Hilton-Gold
Posts: 762
I won't call anything here unethical but I do question anybody who would accept $800 as downgrade compensation when the difference between the fare he's supposed to be flying on and the fare after downgrade is greater than these $800.
At the very least, I would expect the fare difference PLUS a token amount for my inconvenience.
That they find people willing to jump on that sort of offer doesn't make it any better - some folks allow others to walk all over them and then even thank them afterwards for having walked all over them.
At the very least, I would expect the fare difference PLUS a token amount for my inconvenience.
That they find people willing to jump on that sort of offer doesn't make it any better - some folks allow others to walk all over them and then even thank them afterwards for having walked all over them.
Dec 25, 2017, 11:11 am
#39
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: SRQ
Programs: UA Plat-Million Miler (1.6MM), IHG-Plat Amb; Amex Plat-P, Marriott-Gold;Hertz Gold; Hilton-Gold
Posts: 762
Does anyone have current/updated info on the latest LH Offers to Voluntarily Downgrade from C to PE ex-FRA to the USA ?
Dec 26, 2017, 9:15 am
#41
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: SRQ
Programs: UA Plat-Million Miler (1.6MM), IHG-Plat Amb; Amex Plat-P, Marriott-Gold;Hertz Gold; Hilton-Gold
Posts: 762
Feb 16, 2020, 3:55 am
#43
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Germany
Programs: LH FTL, BA Bronze
Posts: 831
Last week on CPT-FRA- MUC I was offered C to Y for 600 Euro. Turned it down and asked agent if I could get rebooked on the OS flight later that night and she said no. I asked if this was because C on OS was full. She said seats were available but LH policy was not to rebook for the purpose of avoiding (in)voluntary downgrades, not even within LH group. Can you confirm? Policy seems irrational to me.
Last edited by planestupid; Feb 16, 2020 at 7:36 am Reason: typos
Feb 16, 2020, 4:16 am
#44
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Stoke on Trent, UK (MAN ), BUE, BKK, DBV
Programs: LH HON***,UA,BA.EK Gold,AV.
Posts: 11,642
Last week on CPT-FRA- MUC iI was offered C to Y for 600 Euro. Turned it down and asked agent if I could get rebooked in the later OS flight and she said no. I asked if this was because C in OS was full. She said seats were available but LH policy was not to rebook for the purpose of avoiding (in)voluntary downgrades, not even within LH group. Can you confirm? Policy seems irrational to me.
Feb 16, 2020, 8:30 am
#45
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 5,656
I was flying BOG-FRA about three weeks ago and got an email a couple of days before the flight offering a downgrade from F to C for €1500 (I'm a SEN on a paid 'A' class ticket). I emailed back suggesting that I'd be happy with a re-route via MIA, however they said that it was no longer necessary as someone took their offer.